From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with archive (Exim 4.43) id 1KyWyz-0004ph-85 for mharc-grub-devel@gnu.org; Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:27:01 -0500 Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1KyWyw-0004oE-9s for grub-devel@gnu.org; Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:26:58 -0500 Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1KyWyu-0004mt-K5 for grub-devel@gnu.org; Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:26:56 -0500 Received: from [199.232.76.173] (port=44247 helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1KyWyu-0004mo-Hl for grub-devel@gnu.org; Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:26:56 -0500 Received: from aybabtu.com ([69.60.117.155]:52300) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS-1.0:RSA_AES_256_CBC_SHA1:32) (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1KyWyu-0004L0-4L for grub-devel@gnu.org; Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:26:56 -0500 Received: from [192.168.10.10] (helo=thorin) by aybabtu.com with esmtps (TLS-1.0:RSA_AES_256_CBC_SHA1:32) (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1KyWy4-0002eP-DO for grub-devel@gnu.org; Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:26:04 +0100 Received: from rmh by thorin with local (Exim 4.63) (envelope-from ) id 1KyWyW-00030h-OY for grub-devel@gnu.org; Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:26:32 +0100 Date: Fri, 7 Nov 2008 20:26:32 +0100 From: Robert Millan To: The development of GRUB 2 Message-ID: <20081107192632.GF8625@thorin> References: <20081102181132.GA24737@thorin> <49109A22.6040501@nic.fi> <20081104191256.GB25519@thorin> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20081104191256.GB25519@thorin> Organization: free as in freedom X-Message-Flag: Worried about Outlook viruses? Switch to Thunderbird! www.mozilla.com/thunderbird X-Debbugs-No-Ack: true User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.13 (2006-08-11) X-detected-operating-system: by monty-python.gnu.org: Genre and OS details not recognized. Subject: [RFC] Multi-terminal support (Re: [PATCH] terminal split) X-BeenThere: grub-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list Reply-To: The development of GRUB 2 List-Id: The development of GRUB 2 List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 07 Nov 2008 19:26:58 -0000 On Tue, Nov 04, 2008 at 08:12:56PM +0100, Robert Millan wrote: > > - Turn the grub_cur_term_{input,output} pointers into lists, so that > multiple terminals can be "current" at the same time. > > - Implement a "magic" input (or output) terminal that can be attached to > other terminals and reads from (or writes to) more than one of them. > The advantage of this is that the code doesn't have to be in kernel. Or a third option, which derives from the second one: - Move the whole terminal selection code away from kernel, into a module (e.g. terminal.mod) that manages multiple terminals, and can possibly enable them simultaneously. This basicaly would mean: - There's always a "default" terminal that is built into kernel already. Before terminal.mod is loaded, the kernel would map generic terminal functions (grub_getkey(), etc) to this terminal (e.g. using a single grub_term_{input,output} couple of pointers). - When loading terminal.mod, it hooks itself by replacing those two pointers, and implements the whole register / unregister / iterate enchilada. - Some special casing would be needed so that the in-kernel terminals can be part of terminal.mod's scheme. What I like in this option is that it moves complexity (and code) away from kernel without removing any functionality from it. -- Robert Millan The DRM opt-in fallacy: "Your data belongs to us. We will decide when (and how) you may access your data; but nobody's threatening your freedom: we still allow you to remove your data and not access it at all."